


It Began In Africa

by hbomba, lonejaguar



Category: Lost Girl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 15:23:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hbomba/pseuds/hbomba, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonejaguar/pseuds/lonejaguar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bo becomes ill and Lauren races to find a cure but things are not as they seem and she’ll need the help of Dyson, Hale, Kenzi, and Trick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

________

 

“Another one bites the dust.” Kenzi kicked a can along the sidewalk, stopping to celebrate when it clattered down the sewer drain. “Goooooal!”

The street was busy; the sidewalk, packed. The hustle and bustle of the city was in full force as Bo and Kenzi walked the three blocks back to the Camaro. It was a nice day, only a few clouds in the sky and the sun beat down on them only as it could in the weeks before summer.

“Okay, Pele, enough.” Bo sidestepped a business man and narrowly avoided a hot dog cart.

“You’re just bitter because that troll got the better of you.”

“I had his number, okay,” she said adamantly. “Until he clobbered me with his club.” She rubbed the back of her head. “My head is still killing me.”

Kenzi walked backwards a few steps. “And how nice was that hottie I picked out at the food court for you?” She always liked to admire her hunting skills.

“As far as food court hotties go, he wasn’t bad. Smelled like Drakkar and tasted like fried rice.”

“Oh, ew.” Kenzi flailed her hands and shook her head, turning back around. “You need to keep that kind of shit to yourself.”

“You’re my best friend, Kenz, who else am I going to tell it to?” Pulling her phone from her pocket, Bo began to dial. When she looked up again, she shifted to her right to avoid a kid on a skateboard only to bump into a homeless man panhandling by an alley. He dropped the hat he was collecting money in and the change clattered to the ground. “I’m so sorry,” Bo apologized and knelt down to help collect the coins off the sidewalk. She smiled at the hairy and disheveled man. 

Kenzi stood over them disapprovingly. “Tell Lauren. She doesn’t get enough of your special brand of weird.”

Bo dropped the last coin into the hat and stood again, dusting herself off. “I highly doubt Lauren would be interested in hearing about my extra curricular activities.” Bo apologized to man again and handed him a twenty. “Go get yourself some dinner, okay?”

They continued down the street and once they were a half a block away, Kenzi elbowed Bo who was attempting to dial Lauren’s number a second time. “What the hell was that?” she asked. “Why are you giving away all our cash?”

Bo put the phone to her ear. “He’s worse off than we are, Kenzi.”

Kenzi scoffed. “Not by much,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Hey, Lauren,” Bo said into the phone, ignoring her friend. “I got it.”

“I could live with the Drakkar if that dude was the alternative.”

Bo elbowed Kenzi. “Yeah, we’re on our way.”

________

 

In the stark white light of the lab, Lauren stared into the microscope and considered what she saw there. She’d been wracking her brain over this blood-borne viral strain and staring at it for what felt like days. The sound of heels click-clacking towards her drew her attention away from the slides and she looked up.

“Bo… Kenzi…”

“Hi,” Bo said congenially.

“Hey, Doc, dissected any frogs lately?”

Lauren ignored the question and turned to Bo. “So you got the talisman?”

Bo smiled. “Sure did.” She pulled on the purple ribbon in her pocket and the ivory carved talisman followed. She held it out for Lauren to take.

Lauren turned it over in her hands, inspecting it thoroughly. “Thank you, how can I repay you?”

“I have a few ideas…” Kenzi deadpanned, inspecting her nails.

“A moment?” Bo stared at Kenzi until she relented and walked away from them. “I thought we could finally go on that date. We have a lot to talk about, don‘t we?”

Lauren smiled and shyly considered her clipboard. “Yes.” When she looked up at Bo it was impossible to miss her flushed face. Lauren knew that little embarrassed Bo so she became immediately concerned. “Bo, you’re flushed, did you heal?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Completely?” The clipboard was suddenly discarded and Lauren’s hands were at Bo’s jaw, her eyes scanning, examining.

“I thought so…”

Lauren laid a hand on Bo‘s forehead. “You’re burning up.” Bo swayed and Lauren reached out to steady her. “Easy.”

“When I said I could really fall for you, this wasn’t what I meant.”

She smirked. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.” Lauren started walking but turned when she realized no one was following her.

“It’s okay, just a bump on the head, I’ll be fine.”

Lauren wasn’t buying it. “You have a fever. I should really do some tests.”

“Uh-uh,” Bo resisted. “I just need to sleep it off.”

“Bo, that’s not how it works and you know it.”

The disagreement caught Kenzi’s attention and she quickly returned to Bo’s side. She always knew when Bo needed some support. “C’mon Kenzi,” she said, turning to the door. “Let’s go.”

“Bo, please.” 

“You’re all worry, Doc,” Kenzi reassured Lauren and patted Bo on the back twice. “Bo is strong like oxen!”

The Russian accent failed to make the doctor smile. “Please call me.”

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled at the doctor before exiting the lab. “We have to make that date.”

________


	2. Chapter 2

________

 

Bo moved slowly into the clubhouse, pushing herself past the exposed wall studs. “Man, this came on fast.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kenzi touched Bo’s arm. “Maybe you should’ve stayed with Lauren.”

“I’ll be fine, Kenz.” She leaned on the back of the couch and smiled sleepily. “Besides, Lauren would be all over-wrought and wait on me hand and foot.”

“And that would be so terrible.”

Bo threw a pillow at her and turned away. “I’m just gonna lie down for a bit, okay?”

Kenzi watched her friend drag herself up the stairs. It was unlike Bo to feel sick, especially after healing so recently. “I’ll have dinner for you when you wake up,” she called up the stairs. Maybe she just needed a little more. It wasn’t a common occurrence, but every now and then, Kenzi would have to hit her little succubus black book for a second helping. Delivery boy it was, she decided. She needed something to eat too, after all.

The boy in the blue Pizza Universe cap was new. He was young, too, with bright green eyes. Bo would like him. Kenzi took the pizza from his hand and shoved the cash in its place. “My friend needs a hand moving her dresser upstairs,” she lied. “Would you mind, terribly?” He followed Kenzi’s direction, unsure but willing to risk the reward adult movies around the world promised. He looked back once at Kenzi settling into the couch, tearing a bite from the slice in her hands. “You might want to stretch first.”

________

 

Kenzi awoke with a start. Confusion set in. She didn’t remember falling asleep on the couch and momentarily she wondered if Bo being sick was a dream, too. But no, it wasn’t as she distinctly remembered the not-so-innocent-anymore pizza boy staggering back to his car. After that, Kenzi decided to let Bo sleep. Now it was--she squinted at the clock--well past noon and she cautiously made her way up the stairs, never prepared for what she might see in Bo’s bedroom. Creeping into the master suite Kenzi found Bo alone, still tucked in and fast asleep.

“Bo…” she all but whispered and when there was no response she tried again. “Bo-Bo,” she reached out and shook Bo’s shoulder. Suddenly Bo’s hand clamped down on Kenzi’s and her eyes flew open. “Down girl, it’s just me.”

She released Kenzi. “I feel terrible,” Bo groaned, holding her head.

Kenzi clicked the bedside lamp on and looked Bo over. She looked like hell: blotchy skin, sweating, mussed hair, makeup that had ceased to be waterproof hours ago and--she felt Bo’s forehead--a raging fever. Kenzi snatched Bo’s phone from the table beside the bed and scrolled through the contacts. It only took a moment to find the number she was looking for and she was dialing it with some urgency. “It’s Kenzi, she’s getting worse and the healing isn’t working.”

“Who are you calling?”

“Santa Claus--to tell him you’ve been naughty and nice.”

Bo narrowed her eyes. “If that’s Lauren, tell her I’m fine.”

“You are not fine,” Kenzi patted Bo’s cheek and Bo promptly swatted the hand away. “She’s not fine,” she said into the phone. “Will do.” Kenzi pushed end on the phone and dropped it onto the bedside table. 

“She’s going to overreact. I just have the flu.”

“Bo-Bo, as much as you might wish that you were, you are not a human. I’m pretty sure succubae don’t get the flu.” Bo sighed and returned to holding her head.

________

 

An hour later Lauren burst through the door downstairs with a med-kit slung over her shoulder. She climbed the stairs two at a time and tried not to run into the bedroom when she reached the top. In the bedroom, Kenzi sat beside Bo’s bed reading her Cosmopolitan--mostly just showing her the ads.

“Bo,” she said breathlessly.

“I’m fine, Lauren.”

Lauren dropped her bag on the foot of the bed and pulled out a thermometer. “Open,” Lauren commanded. Bo looked at her for a long moment before conceding. Lauren placed the thermometer under her tongue. Lauren moved deftly, putting her stethoscope in her ears, inflating the blood pressure cuff, and checking her watch. Finally she placed the stethoscope on Bo’s bare chest to listen to her lungs.

Bo jerked. “Jesus, could ya warm that up a bit next time or, I don’t know, warn me?” she grumbled.

“You are a terrible patient,” Kenzi defended, flipping through the magazine.

The thermometer came out and as Lauren read the numbers, she tried not to show just how terrified she was. Lauren scribbled all the numbers collected and notes on a chart, thinking, then scribbled some more. When she was done gathering information, she looked up at Kenzi. “We have to get her to the lab.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Bo resisted, sitting up to argue her point.

“Bo, be serious. You’re sick and I can’t monitor you properly here. I need to do tests, try antidotes--”

Bo leaned back against the headboard, her chest heaving under the movement. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of--being a giant science project for the Light.”

“You have to trust me, Bo. What I’ve discovered already has me very concerned.”

Kenzi paced beside the bed, taking in the whole conversation. “Listen to the Doc, Bo,” and then to Lauren, “I’ll call D-man for an evac.” 

Lauren smirked as Kenzi dialed her phone. She was happy she didn’t have to ask. Though Dyson wasn’t her first choice when calling for help, he was usually the best. Especially under these circumstances. She was sure they could work together, they all wanted what was best for Bo after all.

“Dyson, we need you. I’ll explain when you get here.”

________


	3. Chapter 3

________

 

“Where’s Bo?” Dyson asked, striding in through the front door. He looked left and right her, expecting her to be lying injured or moments from death. With Bo, you just never knew what you’d be walking into and while he always preached being at the ready, Bo seemed to provoke extra caution.

“Put these on.” Lauren handed surgical masks to Hale and Dyson. She seemed set up on the coffee table, Dyson recognized the kit.

Hale was quick to follow the direction, but Dyson looked at the mask in his hand. “What’s going on?”

“Bo’s sick,” Lauren started and Dyson made a beeline for the stairs before she could elaborate. “Dyson, wait. I think she might be contagious.”

He stopped at the doorway to the stairs and looked back at her. “Then why aren’t you wearing one of these?” He held the mask in the front of him.

Lauren thought about her answer. “It doesn’t appear to affect humans.”

“Of course.” His disdain was palpable.

“Dyson, this is serious, right now she has all the symptoms of the fae plague. I need to get her back to the lab and I need your help to--”

“Let me see her,” Dyson interrupted.

Lauren sighed. “She’s in bed, Dyson.” He was halfway up the stairs when she called after him: “Wear the mask!”

At the top of the stairs, Dyson dropped his mask onto the floor. He never seen her so pale before, even when she was bruised and broken. Now she looked sick, weak, she smelled… different. “Bo.”

She looked up from the book in her lap and rolled her eyes. “Hey, great, more people to see me at my worst.”

Dyson hurried to her side. “Bo, feed off of me,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He was quick to offer. There were so many things he couldn’t seem to give her, but this was the one thing he never failed at. “I can make you better.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Lauren stood in the bedroom doorway behind him holding the discarded mask between her fingers. “If you’re through disregarding my requests, can we get her to the lab?”

________

 

The doors of the Light Fae Labs broke open. Lauren pushed her way through, tossing the med-kit under a desk and continuing to the nearest bed. Her fingers danced over the machines, switching on oxygen, heart monitors and IV. She pulled the covers back, took her leather jacket off and draped it on the chair next to the bed.

Dyson followed through the doors, a weakened Bo lay in his arms. Kenzi was glued to her best friend, never more than a step away from her. She marveled at the gadgetry.

“It’s like a friggin’ Lite-Brite.”

“Put her on the bed.” Lauren rolled each sleeve of her shirt three times. No more, no less.

Bo curled up on her side, her eyes closed in an intense meditation. Dyson reached over her and pulled the covers to her chin. “What can I do?” he asked, his fists pushing into the side of the bed.

“Unfortunately, not much,” she replied, checking Bo‘s pulse. “I’m afraid you exposed yourself to a potential plague.” She took her own pulse, comparing the results and jotting them down on the fresh paperwork on her clipboard. “You’re grounded, Maverick.”

Dyson rolled his eyes. “I feel fine.”

“You’re not leaving this lab,” Lauren stated matter-of-factly. She scribbled a few lines on the paperwork in her hand. “You could be infected.”

He paced, frustrated by the sudden leash. “You can’t do this to me, Lauren.”

“Wrong again, Dyson.“ She smirked and shook her head at the irony. “You’re in my world now.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

Lauren finally stopped and looked up at him for a brief, intense moment before grabbing his open jacket and pulling him a few steps away from Bo. He pushed her hand away. “A very good friend of mine is lying mere moments away from lapsing into a coma and you think I’m enjoying this?” She glanced at Bo and back up at Dyson, her eyes unwavering. “Whatever unfinished business you may think we have, don’t mistake the fact that the decisions I make in this lab are decisions I make as a doctor. So put your petty bullshit aside and get your wolf into that bed. The more time I waste getting you to behave is less time I‘m spending on helping Bo.”

Dyson seemed unaffected by the speech, but his demeanor softened, if only slightly. “I can’t help her from the lab.”

“Twenty-four hour quarantine,” she said, returning to her clipboard. She walked back to Bo’s side. “After that you’re free to go.”

Dyson growled. “Anymore rules?”

“Just one.” She pointed across the room. “Get in bed.”  
________

 

The creak of the curtain on the chrome railing over her bed made her head scream. Her brow furrowed, willing the pain away. What the hell was wrong with her? She’d never been this sick in her life. Even after Mary Dennis’ seafood surprise casserole.

“Bo?” Lauren’s voice was quiet.

Only able to muster a groan in return, Bo tried to open her eyes. The laboratory lighting pierced into the back of her skull. “Light,” she grunted. A moment passed and she heard a few clicks. The pain’s intensity lessened dramatically and she opened her eyes onto Lauren, who was fiddling with the various dials and switches on the machines next to her.

Lauren looked down at her and smiled. “Hey,” she said. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” Bo replied. “What the hell’s wrong with me?” She watched Lauren look to Kenzi in the chair next to the bed. She hadn’t even realized she was there.

“Can you give us a second?” Lauren asked. Kenzi didn’t say a word, patting Bo’s arm before disappearing around the curtain. Lauren’s lips tightened and she sighed. “I’m working on it,” she smiled. “Can you sit up?”

With a lot of effort and a hand from the doctor, Bo managed to sit herself upright. Her head swam in large circles and she braced herself with her right arm. “It feels like the fae flu.”

Lauren pushed the leather jacket from Bo’s shoulders. “That’s the direction I’m heading.” She pulled the jacket from her arms and folded it over her arm. “I just wish I knew for sure.” Dropping the jacket on the chair next to the bed, Lauren turned back and watched Bo sway with the tides that were swirling in her head. She reached for the hem on Bo’s shirt and Bo placed a hand on hers.

“You’ll figure it out, though, right?” Bo couldn’t hide the fear she was beginning to feel. If Lauren couldn’t figure it out, her chances of pulling out of this dwindled.

Lauren smiled then. “Of course,” she said. But Bo wasn’t fooled. Lauren’s eyes always told so much more of the story and Bo wasn’t liking where this was going. “Arms up.”

Bo followed the direction and Lauren pulled Bo’s shirt over her head. The action didn’t help the queasiness. “I’m so tired,” she groaned. “That troll kicked the shit out of me.”

Lauren unfolded a hospital gown and pulled it over Bo’s arms. “One second,” she said, tying the gown together behind Bo’s back. Bo’s chin dropped to her shoulder and Lauren had to start the last knot again. Bo mumbled into her shoulder as her fingers tied the knot loosely and helped Bo to lie back against the pillows.

By the time Lauren added Bo’s jeans to the growing pile of clothes, Bo had begun to drift off. “I hope you figure it out soon,” she dragged the sentence out in her exhaustion.

Lauren pulled the blankets over Bo and touched the back of her cool fingers to her forehead. “I hope so, too.”

________


	4. Chapter 4

________

 

Kenzi kicked back in the chair next to Dyson’s bed. The last several hours had been a whirlwind of emotion. Her bestie had gotten herself into some kind of mess. The on your knees and pray-type of mess. Kenzi rarely found herself in such a predicament but Bo, well, she seemed to attract the wrong kind of attention for a living and quite frankly, that’s what Kenzi dug about her. She’ll stand up against whoever opposes her if it’s for something she believes in.

And now when she couldn’t stand up for herself, Kenzi was going to do it for her. The curtain slid open, the sick sound of metal on metal announcing Lauren’s presence. 

“Hale, I need you to track down this troll that Bo had a run-in with yesterday and get a blood sample. Kenzi said there was also a human pizza boy, just see if he’s sick at all, I doubt he knows anything.”

“Anything you need, Doc,” Hale mumbled beneath the medical mask.

“I’m going with,” Kenzi said, standing at the ready.

He held a hand out. “Come along, pretty mama.”

“Thank you,” Lauren called after them. The click-clack of Kenzi’s boots echoed throughout the lab as they left.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Doc,” Dyson said.

She turned back to him. “How are you feeling?” Lauren asked, listening to her stethoscope. She checked his lungs then heartbeat.

“Right as rain,” he smiled congenially.

Lauren removed the stethoscope from her ears, dropping it around her neck. “Six more hours.”

“No time off for good behavior, huh?”

“Science doesn’t work like that. I‘ll be back in a bit.” 

Lauren left the curtains open slightly. He could see her go to her desk and then walk across to Bo’s makeshift room where he heard the curtains open again. He could no longer make out what they were saying, but Bo was talking to her. That, or Lauren had completely lost it.

Six more hours. Dyson was going stir crazy. He wanted to rip down these pointless curtains and rush to Bo’s side. He wasn’t sick and Lauren knew it, but why they chose to interact so destructively was always a struggle. He should be out there with Hale. Kenzi was a spitfire for sure, but no back-up for a cop. Especially when there was a troll was involved.  
__

“Well that was an experience I could have done without.” Kenzi walked into the lab, her arms outstretched. “I have troll blood all over me.”

Lauren dropped her pen and rushed to Kenzi’s side. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Kenzi complained. “No, not hurt.” She looked over at Hale who scrambled to put his mask on a few steps late. “Macho Man pissed the troll off so much they got into a fist fight.” Lauren handed Kenzi a towel and she started wiping herself down. “Once troll baby cut himself, he started spraying the shit everywhere.” She spat into the towel and glared at Hale. “You owe me dinner!”

“Alright, alright, Little Mama.” Hale raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll take you to Benihana’s, don’t worry.” He flinched when the towel hit him in the back of the head and he looked at Lauren. “Do you have enough there, Doc?”

Lauren nodded. “It should be fine. What about the delivery boy?”

“Alive and well popping terrible wheelies in a skate park downtown,” Kenzi chimed in. “No worse for wear.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Is there anything else you can think of, Kenzi?” Dyson stopped next to Lauren. “Anything you did or saw that day?”

Kenzi put her hands on her hips and stared at the ceiling. “Oh!” The exclamation startled the group. “There was this kid at the mall. Oh!” She waved her hands. “This homeless guy. Bo bumped into him and gave him twenty bucks. I thought he looked kinda weird, but Bo said I was being judgmental.”

“What?”

“I know right? Why give a homeless guy twenty bucks when you can buy your best friend a pair of new used shoes?”

“No, Kenzi!” Dyson growled.

“Where is this homeless guy?” Hale asked.

“Couple doors down from Pizza Universe,” Kenzi pointed with her thumb. “I can show you.”

Dyson looked at Lauren, who looked at the clock. Three hours left of his sentence. She closed her eyes and nodded. “Go,” she said. “Bring him back here. Quickly.”  
___

The street was as busy as it was two days before, business men and women threading their way through the unwashed masses. Kenzi directed Dyson to pull over a few blocks away from the mall and they hoofed it from there.

“So, there were these fruit stands selling fresh juice--I know because I was really fricken thirsty when we walked through there--and then Bo runs into this hairy dude panhandling. Up here,” she pointed.

Dyson was growing weary of the human’s free spirited nature, but he listened to her every word because he knew she had the information they needed. As they rounded the street corner, Kenzi pointed to the hairy man sitting on the ground.

“There, that’s him!” Kenzi exclaimed.

“He’s gonna run,” Dyson said as the homeless man looked in their direction.

Just then the homeless man threw off his cloak to reveal himself as a small--around four feet tall--hairy and fast little man. “Runner!” Hale yelled, pulling his gun and giving chase.

The hairy, dwarf-like man was remarkably spry. He leapt through one of the fresh juice stalls, inciting panic and causing the crowd to grow chaotic. Hale pushed his way through the bodies while Kenzi tried to keep up with Dyson, who was running with a full head of steam down the street. The little man broke left and cut through an alley, Dyson right behind him. 

“Stop!” he commanded, aiming his gun at the homeless man from the mouth of the alley.

The short man stopped then, turning around slowly to reveal a creepy grin on his hairy face, his hand moved slowly from his side to his mouth where he popped a pebble between his lips and then promptly disappeared.

“What the shit was that?” Kenzi said, leaning onto Dyson, out of breath.

“I don’t know, but hopefully Lauren will,” Dyson said. “Let’s go find Hale.”

They met up with Hale back at the homeless man’s belongings where a crowd had started to gather. He secured the cloak and the hat he was panhandling with. “Seven dollars and five cents and a funny looking nail,” Hale said.

Dyson held the cloak to his nose momentarily, catching the man’s scent before packing up the evidence to bring back to Lauren.

________


	5. Chapter 5

________

 

Lauren had been asleep in the chair beside Bo’s bed since she awoke an hour ago. She didn’t have the heart to wake her and let’s be honest, she didn’t have the energy to reach over and shake her either. Besides, it was in these little moments that Bo found herself feeling more and more for the doctor. 

A herd of footsteps echoed through the lab and then, “Lauren?” Dyson called.

Lauren inhaled, sitting upright in the chair. She looked to Bo who smiled lazily at her, a confused expression written on her face. “In here,” she replied. Dyson pulled back the curtain to Bo’s room. Lauren got to her feet and, looking back and Bo, left the room, sliding the curtain shut behind her. “What did you find?”

Hale dropped the dusty, smelly cloak on her desk. The hat full of change soon followed. 

“It looks like a homeless person’s belongings.” She didn’t know what she had been expecting them to return with. She supposed she wanted a big blinking arrow, pointing directly to the source of all this mess. Lauren looked into the hat and pulled the nail from inside. Her heart dropped. “Where did you get this?” She held the nail in front of her face.

“The homeless dude, duh,” Kenzi replied. “What is it? A starter kit for Habitat for Humanity?”

Lauren stared at it, transfixed. She shook her head in incredulity and swallowed. “It’s an African Shaman’s cursing nail.”

“Holy shit, you do know everything,” Kenzi exclaimed.

“How did you know that?” Dyson asked.

“Nadia,” she said with sorrow in her voice. “I need Trick, can you get him for me?”

Dyson nodded and didn’t waste any time getting on the road. Lauren stared after him, turning the nail over in her hands. Why was this coming up again? Was it a coincidence? She turned to watch Kenzi and Hale practice hand jives at her desk. Why would a homeless man have a cursing nail? Was it his own? Lauren really did need Trick. This had suddenly become far too complicated for her sleep-deprived mind. 

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a the crash of a beaker on the laboratory floor. She jumped and looked in the direction of Kenzi and Hale, who looked just as frightened by the glass at their feet.

Lauren sighed and closed her eyes. “This is why I ask you not to break anything,” she said.

Kenzi stuck her tongue out at Lauren while she slid off the chair. She followed Hale to the broom in the corner when Lauren turned and disappeared into Bo’s room again.

Bo’s condition hadn’t improved. In fact, her levels made a steep drop in the last few hours. Lauren couldn’t figure it out and it was slowly driving her insane. But she smiled at Bo nonetheless when she pushed past the curtain and walked up to the bed.

“You look terrible.” Bo’s voice was weak, but clear.

Lauren chuckled as she adjusted the IV. “I thought I was the doctor.” She rested her hands on the edge of the bed. “How’re you feeling?”

Bo took a breath before answering. “Never better.” She closed her eyes. “Any leads?”

Lauren nodded though Bo couldn‘t see her, compulsively fluffing the pillow under Bo’s head and straightening the sleeve of her gown. “A few, but…” She smiled when Bo‘s eyes opened. “Still too many questions to be sure.”

“Story of our lives.” Bo groaned then, her eyes drifting shut again. “I think I’m getting worse.”

“I just increased the dosage of the plague serum,” Lauren explained. “It’ll take a bit to get readjusted. Try to rest.” Bo squeezed her fingers for a moment before relaxing again. Lauren placed her hand over Bo’s and watched her fall asleep. She hoped Trick could help her make sense of answers to questions she didn’t understand.

________

 

Lauren sat at her desk, lit by a single lamp. Dyson had called saying they’d be an hour while Trick closed the bar. Hale had picked up a few pizzas for everyone and despite Kenzi’s accusatory: “Are those, like, normal pizzas, or freaky fae pizzas?” upon his arrival, they dug in. Food was a secondary necessity for them all. Sleep maybe fourth or fifth.

After an hour of silence, Kenzi was sleeping in the chair next to Bo, her arms draped dramatically over the armrests. Hale was catching a bit of sleep himself and Lauren, who was all too familiar with insomniac behavior, pushed her fingers into her hair and stared down at the single nail laying innocently on her clipboard. “Why are you haunting me?” she asked it.

Lauren had tried everything. None of the known fae cures did anything for her symptoms and Bo was steadily getting worse. And now this fucking nail again. She pushed away from her desk, the chair rolling several feet away. Lauren rubbed her face as she got to her feet, pushing the chair back against the desk. She took a deep breath before turning for Bo’s bed again. It wasn’t the first time she’d been up for days, but it certainly didn’t get any easier.

The light metallic sound of a coin hitting to floor made Lauren spin around. The lab was silent and she frowned at the sight on the floor in front of her desk. Kneeling down, Lauren picked the nail up and twirled it between her fingers. It must have fallen off when the chair hit the desk. She was no stranger to hallucinations as a result of sleep deprivation either, it seemed.

Bo was asleep again (or was it still?) when Lauren walked in. She dipped a washcloth in the basin of water on the side table and dabbed it along her forehead, cheeks and, finally, her cracked lips. She was starting to fear that she was losing Bo like she lost Nadia and like Nadia, there seemed nothing she could do.

There was something missing. Something big and easy, she knew it. The tests on the troll’s blood came back clear, the delivery boy was fine, and Bo was still slipping. “Dammit,” Lauren whispered. She wiped her own face with the cloth before folding it neatly and leaving it next to the bowl.

Lauren walked around the bed and put her hand gently on Kenzi’s arm. “Kenzi,” she said softly.

Kenzi groaned and her eyes fluttered open. “What’s up, Doc?” she yawned.

“Can I speak to you outside?”

Kenzi looked up at Bo before pushing herself up and out of the chair and followed Lauren outside the curtain. “What’s going on?”

“Has Bo made any new enemies?”

“It’s Bo,” Kenzi shrugged, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Has she traveled anywhere recently?”

“Yes,” Dyson said, announcing his arrival from the middle of the room. Trick moved quickly from his side when Kenzi motioned him behind the curtain. “She went to the Congo.”

“What?” Lauren’s face must have been a picture of total disbelief. If the depression in her chest was any indication, she imagined her complexion took on a sickly pallor not unlike Bo’s. “When?” She barely heard herself ask the question.

“A few months before the Garuda,” Dyson said.

She shook her head, bracing herself on the filing cabinet next to her. She felt faint. “No, that can’t be.”

“It is,” Dyson stepped closer to her as if ready to catch her if she fell. “I saw her go.”

Lauren ran a hand over her face and moved to step inside the curtain to Bo’s bed. Trick looked over his shoulder at her, not letting go of his granddaughter‘s hand. “How did this happen?”

“Let’s talk outside.” She waved him towards her. Dyson and Hale walked over when Trick arrived at the curtained doorway. Lauren lowered her voice. “I think she’s been cursed.” She handed Trick the nail.

“Cursed?” Trick repeated, studying the nail. “By who?”

Lauren shrugged, sighing in frustration. “A Shaman?”

“What about Mr. Stinky,” Kenzi interrupted. “Is he the Shaman?”

Trick laid a hand on Lauren’s arm and turned to Kenzi. “Tell me about him, Kenzi. Everything.”

Kenzi looked to the ceiling, counting each feature off with a finger. “Little, hairy, pretty smelly and able to leap fruit stalls in a single bound. All before disappearing into thin air, of course.”

“He disappeared?”

“Right in front of my eyes, Trick,” Dyson replied. “He put something in his mouth and then he disappeared into thin air.”

“Should’ve been a breath mint,” Kenzi mumbled.

“That’s no Shaman,” Trick said with a worried tone. “That’s a Tokoloshe.”

“A what?” Kenzi asked.

“Never mind that now.” Trick looked at Dyson. “I need you to fetch me some things. The quicker the better.”

“Whatever you need,” Dyson nodded.

“And take me back to the Dal. I need my books.”

________


	6. Chapter 6

________

 

Trick was onto something but Lauren knew that she was, too. And a Tokoloshe didn’t get sent to cause mayhem for nothing. She picked the nail up off her desk and studied it’s edges. It seemed far too coincidental that two cursing nails showed up linked to the same people. What had Bo done? Why was she in the Congo? This was too much.

Lauren pushed back from the desk and stood slowly. Her bones ached. An hour of sleep, slouched down in a chair next to Bo was not proving enough to keep her sharp. She pulled the curtain back and entered Bo’s room. Her head turned slowly on the pillow, her eyes still alert.

“Hey,” she smiled weakly.

“Hey,” Lauren sat in the chair beside her. “How are you feeling?”

Bo took a moment to answer. “Like my insides are on fire.” She shifted in her discomfort.

“I’ll work on something for that.” Lauren sat forward in the chair. “Bo, I need to talk to you.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” she smirked and closed her eyes.

Lauren reached out and held Bo’s hand. “I need you to tell me what happened in the Congo.”

Bo’s eyes opened again and looked at Lauren before staring up at the ceiling. “I can’t do that.”

“Why?” The admission of going to the Congo made her head spin.

“I made a promise.”

Lauren‘s back straightened. Was she sure she wanted to hear this? “To who?” she asked.

“Lachlan.”

Her first instinct was to blame Lachlan for everything and her opinion of him didn’t change a whole lot even after he died. He wasn‘t the most pleasant man she‘d met, but then he wasn‘t the Ash that cursed her girlfriend, either. Lauren’s fingers started to tingle, a sign she was drunk, anxious, or about to faint. At this point, she wished it was the former. “It’s about Nadia isn’t it?” Bo didn’t answer, staring at the white curtain separating her from the rest of the laboratory. Her avoidance made it even worse. “Bo…” Bo turned her head, the tears spilling from the corner of her eyes. “Was it?” Lauren pushed, her own vision was becoming obscured. Bo closed her eyes and nodded as if it made a difference to her promise. She turned away again and Lauren tightened her grip on Bo’s hand. “What happened?” Lauren wiped her eyes with her free hand.

“I can’t tell you, Lauren.” Her voice was strained and hoarse from the illness and the stress on her body. “I gave him my word.”

Lauren felt her body vibrate with emotion. Upset over the situation and causing Bo this added stress, sad her girlfriend was taken from her so soon and angry about the whole unbelievable mess from the beginning. “I need you to tell me.”

“Lauren…” Bo looked at her, silent, her refusal to cooperate quite apparent.

“Bo, please,” Lauren pleaded. Her final wall started to crumble despite her best efforts to keep it up. Her head fell and she pulled away from Bo, resting her elbows on her knees. Her hands were in her hair again, trying to pull the answer from her brain. “I don’t know how to help you,” she said, her voice uneven. “I can’t do this alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Trick’s voice startled Lauren and she scrambled to make herself presentable. He put a strong hand on her shoulder. “Here,” he said, handing her a small jar. “Put this on her skin, everywhere exposed. It should keep her from getting worse.”

Lauren sniffed and wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand before taking the container from him. “Thanks,” she said softly.

He smiled at her and patted her shoulder. “Come back out when you’re done,” he told her. “We have some planning to do.”

Lauren looked skeptically at the jar in her hand, trying to identify the contents. But really, after five years, she figured she should have been used to this by now. When she heard the curtain close behind her, she opened the jar. A moment passed and the room began to fill with an odor of mint, grass, and manure. 

“Oh, god, what is that smell?” Bo moaned and tried to roll away. 

Lauren pulled a pair of gloves from the box on the table next to her. She tried not to make a face. “It’s some type of salve that Trick made.”

Bo opened her eyes enough to see Lauren snap the gloves onto her hands. “If this is your way of making me talk, you have issues.”

Lauren smiled. “About that,” she looked down at her hands.

“Lauren--” The doctor smeared the ointment onto Bo’s arms. Bo shook her head and grimaced. “Oh god, I feel like a Thanksgiving turkey.” 

“I just tend to get…” she chose her words carefully, “emotional when I haven’t slept.” Lauren hadn’t realized she held Bo’s hand between hers until she looked down again. She released it gently and smoothed the rest of the salve into Bo’s arms. “Rest, now.” She resisted the urge to kiss her forehead and instead spoke words of comfort. “This should help.”

Lauren drew back the curtains. “Lauren?” Bo called after her. 

“Is something wrong?” The doctor asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice.

“Thank you.”

Lauren sucked in a breath at this and regarded Bo gently. “Anytime.” She flashed Bo a smile before pulling the curtain shut. 

________


	7. Chapter 7

________

 

Trick stood beside her desk carrying his Big Book of Fae. Lauren pulled the gloves off with a snap and deposited them in a nearby trashcan. 

“What was in that, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s called muti - a traditional medicine, the base of which is made from a dead Tokoloshe.”

“That would explain the smell,” Lauren washed her hands.

“I’ve sent for a N’anga: a traditional African healer, he has the power to dispel the Tokoloshe. The muti should keep her stable until he gets here. Just keep reapplying it hourly.”

“Thank you,” she said humbly.

He smiled at her. “There is no shame in asking for help, Lauren.” She nodded solemnly. 

Kenzi hopped up onto the corner of Lauren’s desk. “So, this Toblerone guy, he’s holding a grudge against Bo?”

“Tokoloshe,” Trick corrected.

“Toblerone--don’t you just want to eat it up? Holy shazbot, is anyone else suddenly craving chocolate?”

“The Tokoloshe can be benevolent,” Trick told Kenzi. “Much like your old friend Mumford - but they are always invoked by a Shaman and if the motive behind its conjure is malicious, a Tokoloshe can bring about illness and even death.” Trick looked from Dyson to Lauren. “And if Bo was in Africa…”

Dyson rubbed his forehead. “So a Tokoloshe was sent to Bo because she angered a Shaman.”

“Sure, blame the victim,” Kenzi grumbled.

“I thought I had it figured out.,” Lauren started to pace. The wheels were working once again. “I was so sure she was cursed.”

“She has been cursed.” Trick handed his book to Lauren. “And by a very powerful Shaman if her symptoms are any indication. She must have done something serious to provoke him into sending a Tokoloshe to do his bidding.”

“Bo does have a way with people,” Kenzi tapped a pen against her knee.

“I think Bo freed Nadia.” The comment was so definitive, Lauren found the room looking at her.

Trick‘s eyebrows raised. “Oh.” He took a moment to appreciate the gravity of the situation. “That would certainly do it.”

________

 

Lauren yawned and checked her watch. It was time to apply the muti again. Though the circumstances with Bo could be more favorable, she was starting to enjoy the quiet time it afforded them together. She walked to her desk and frowned.

“Did someone move the ointment?” Kenzi looked up from her nails and stared at her blankly. Trick and Dyson shook their heads. “It was right here.” She threw open the desk drawers and rifled through them. She looked up. “I don’t understand.”

“You lost it?” Dyson stood from the chair he was seated in.

“I didn’t lose it.” Lauren patted her jacket down and looked around. “I didn’t lose it.” She could feel her insides twist over themselves. She didn’t misplace things. Everything had its home and if it wasn’t there, there was a perfectly good reason for it. Lauren touched her fingers to her lips. In a sudden frenzy, she began an in-depth search of her desk, turning each page over, lifting every file. She pulled out the desk drawer and rifled through it.

“Now you’ve really lost it,” Dyson criticized.

“Oh,” Lauren laughed ironically, “don’t think you can stand in judgment of me. Not today. I am busting my ass to save her and believe me, I am not doing it for your approval.” She slammed a desk drawer and went to check the other workstations.

“No bigs,” Kenzi tried to pacify the warring parties, “Trickster can make some more, right, Trick?”

“I’m afraid not. I could barely get enough for one batch.”

There was a collective exhale and then, “Shit,” in unison.

Hale shrugged, eager to find another avenue to pursue. “So now what?”

“We might’ve had this whole thing taken care of if I hadn’t been confined for twenty-four hours.” Dyson paced as Lauren overturned a pile of papers on a desk across the room.

“Twenty-one hours,” Lauren corrected him, moving on to the next desk.

“Whatever.” Dyson stopped next to Hale. “This is on you now, Doctor.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, dropping a stack of files on a chair. “Oh, big surprise. You know, I confine you and add a day to our investigation.” She ran a hand through her disheveled hair. “Or, I let you go and potentially infect the fae population with a deadly plague.”

Kenzi and Hale traded cautious glances. “Hey maybe we should get some ice cream,” she suggested.

“Either way, I get screwed.” She walked quickly to a large storage cabinet and opened it up, shuffling a few things on the shelves and coming up empty again.

“And what about Bo?” Dyson pressed. “What does she get?”

Lauren slammed the cabinet door shut and the room echoed in silence. “She gets everything I have.”

________

 

After two hours of combing the lab for any trace of the muti, Lauren returned to Bo’s side. She watched her sleep, taking in the visual symptoms of a patient who just kept getting worse instead of better and damning herself for not figuring this out sooner.

“Rough night?” Bo’s gravelly voice lit up the darkness.

“I lost the salve.” Lauren stared at the floor, unable to face her. “I’m sorry.” 

“Well, I can’t say I’ll miss it, though you do give a wicked hand massage.”

She smiled. Bo had a way with saying just the right thing at just the right time and Lauren took a deep, cleansing breath, abandoning her self-flagellation. She settled into the chair next to Bo to stop the jangling of her nerves. 

“For what it’s worth, I enjoyed your tête-à-tête with Dyson.”

Lauren looked at Bo, her eyes betraying her again. “You heard that?”

“These walls are thinner than the ones at the clubhouse, doctor. You didn’t think that walking outside a sheet was going to prevent me from hearing anything, did you?”

Lauren smiled and nodded, looking at her hands. “How much have you heard?”

“Everything.”

“And you still believe that I can save you?”

“Don’t you?”

Lauren shrugged her shoulders and looked to the ceiling. “I would never give up.”

“And that’s why I believe.” Bo smiled and even in her weakened state it was a smile that could brighten a room, even one with walls made of sheets.

Lauren covered Bo’s hand with her own, it was cold and clammy and Lauren mentally took note of this fact before slipping out of doctor mode and into friend territory which was often confusing for her. “Get some rest,” she said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

________


	8. Chapter 8

________

 

“So tell me more about this N’anga.” Dyson sat on an examination table not far from Lauren’s desk. It was covered with old books, each open and piled on top of each other. Kenzi and Hale both turned their attention to the conversation, the first words spoken since Lauren silenced them all.

“N’angas belong to a long line of African healers,” Trick started. “Sangoma, Inyanga, Shaman, depending on region. They’re said to be appointed by their ancestors and are initiated through an illness of some sort, stomach pain, headache, psychosis. And they are the only ones who can banish the Tokoloshe.”

“So where is this dude coming from?“ Kenzi interjected. “My bestie’s clock is ticking, here.”

“There was a N’anga who didn’t used to live far from the city a few years ago,” Trick replied. “But who knows where he’s ended up.”

“Great.” Kenzi turned and made her way to Bo’s bed, passing Lauren as she exited.

“How’s Bo?” Trick looked up at Lauren as she approached.

Lauren sighed, leaning against the exam table that Dyson adorned. “She’s okay,” she said. “Not any better, but not any worse since the muti disappeared.” She looked at Dyson briefly before casting her eyes away again.

Trick nodded. “We’ll make do without it. Hopefully the N’anga won’t be much longer.”

“I hate waiting,” Dyson growled.

“Maybe we can find something else in the homeless guy’s stuff,” Hale suggested, walking over to the table. He stopped and frowned, looking up and down the table before lifting the hat in the air. “Um,” he started, looking under the table. “Where’d his clothes go?”

“What?” Lauren and Dyson said in unison as they both turned.

“His clothes,” Hale repeated.

“They’re not there?” Lauren asked, walking over.

Hale spread his arms out. “Do they look like they’re here?”

Dyson slid off the table and joined them. “What the hell is going on?” The three of them looked around the room, all lost in the situation. Lauren was not this absent-minded, even Dyson knew that. He inhaled deeply, sniffing the air. “He’s here.”

“That explains the missing items,” Trick said, looking around the lab as well.

Lauren turned in circles, looking at every corner. “Where is he?” 

“He’s still invisible.” Dyson sniffed again. “But he’s here.”

Trick slammed his books shut. “We have to keep him away from Bo,” he warned as he got to his feet. “The Tokoloshe’s powers are magnified the closer he gets to the intended victim.”

“That will prove difficult when we can’t see him,” Hale said, walking to the end of the lab.

Lauren clutched her clipboard, resisting the urge to lose it completely. “Can you locate him, Dyson?”

“He’s constantly moving,” Dyson answered, turning around for the third time.

Lauren rushed to her desk and pulled out the top drawer. She pushed a few things aside before producing a small object. “My key to the Ash‘s vault,” she handed it to Dyson. “Go there and find the Spectacles of Geneva. They show the heat signature of any living organism.”

Dyson moved to the doors, but before he could get them open, Kenzi’s cry for help stopped him cold. The alarm of each machine from Bo’s quarantine suddenly registered in everyone’s mind.

“Shit,” Lauren dropped the clipboard and ran to Kenzi and Bo’s aid.

Dyson tossed the key at Hale. “Go find it,” he said before following Lauren.

“I’ll go with you,” Trick offered, not really wanting to leave, but ’time-sensitive’ didn’t do justice to the necessity of finding the spectacles and the two of them hurried out the door.

Lauren burst through the curtain to find Kenzi standing helplessly alongside her best friend. “She’s crashing!” Lauren shouted to no one, to everyone.

“I don’t know what happened,“ Kenzi babbled. “They all just went off, I didn’t touch anything!“

Her heart pounded in her chest. The feeling was one she used to thrive on--a life on the line--it was one of the most exhilarating things about being a doctor. Lauren rushed to the defibrillator and grabbed the paddles, but when she moved to Bo’s side with them, the curled cord dangled against her arms. The cords had been more than pulled out, they’d been chewed apart and suddenly Lauren realized she wasn‘t so sure about Bo’s life being the one at stake.

“Do something!” Kenzi cried. Dyson pulled Kenzi from the bed, but stayed next to the open curtain to watch the fate of their friend.

Lauren threw the paddles to the floor, climbed on top of the bed and straddled Bo. She knew she was on her own on this and with the machines singing a monotone chorus next to her, she began CPR. “One, two, three, four, five,” she counted to fifteen before plugging Bo’s nose and leaning forward, taking two breaths for her. “One, two, three,” she prayed, “four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,“ she fought back tears and swallowed hard, “thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,“ another two breaths and a blip on the heart monitor.

Kenzi held on to Dyson, her face long and drawn. “Come on, Bo,” she whispered. 

“One, two, c’mon Bo, come back,” Lauren breathed again, looking at the monitors. Her hands were frenetic, giving Bo every ounce of her strength to keep her there. Her chest heaved, exhausted from filling Bo’s lungs and the lack of response drove Lauren closer to losing control. “Dammit, Bo! Don’t you give up on me.” Lauren thumped her on the chest.

And a heartbeat, at last sounded from the monitor. Lauren looked at the machines as if she didn’t believe her ears. The first heartbeat was followed by another and then a steady stream thereafter. Lauren looked down on Bo who’s eyes were suddenly open and burning into hers. She smiled breathlessly. “Welcome back.”

The group that had gathered to watch the resuscitation of their friend exhaled. 

Bo coughed and with a painful expression, rested a hand on her chest. “Not liking your bedside manner much today.”

Lauren threw her leg over and sat on the edge of her bed beside Bo, her hand stopping on Bo’s thigh. “Had to keep things interesting,“ she smiled. “Get some rest, we‘re close.” She patted her leg and stood to usher the onlookers out of the room before pulling the curtain shut behind them.

Kenzi and Dyson stood at Lauren’s desk, waiting for her emergence from Bo’s room. They watched her pull the curtain closed behind her, a look mixed between exhaustion, anxiety and relief all rolled into one.

“Oh my God,” Kenzi wrapped her arms around Lauren, much to the doctor’s surprise. Her hug was like a vice grip. “You’re a miracle worker.”

“Let’s not get carried away,” Lauren returned the hug before Kenzi pulled away.

Lauren looked at Dyson, who was still standing to the side. They watched each other for a few moments, like a cold war standoff.

“Thank you,” he said.

She nodded and tried to smile. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do.” Dyson stepped closer to her. “I give credit where it’s due.”

“Dyson…” Lauren took a long breath, waiting for the anxiety of recent events to subside. She put a hand on his arm and finally smiled at him. “I would have done it for any of you.”

________


	9. Chapter 9

________

 

The curtain slid back smoothly, and closed again. Bo’s hearing hadn’t failed her, but she had such trouble opening her eyes, it felt like climbing a mountain. Every pain receptor in her body was on fire. Whether it be from the violent chest compressions, the plague headache or the acid churning in her stomach, it didn‘t matter. When she finally opened her eyes, she was able to see the outline of a tall slender man and was both surprised and annoyed that it took him this long to visit her.

“I hear the food’s pretty good in here.” His voice was low and she loved the way she could feel it reverberate in her chest.

“Who could eat?” Bo smirked, turning toward him.

“Touche.” Dyson stopped next to her and sat down. He leaned back in the chair.

“But the service is pretty spectacular, I gotta say.”

Dyson nodded. “Lauren does run a tight ship,” was as close to agreeing that he could manage.

Bo looked at him. “You shouldn’t be so hard on her, Dyson.”

“Last time I checked she could dish it out like nobody’s business,” he defended. “Shouldn’t she be able to take some criticism?”

She tried to laugh, but it caught in her throat. “Criticism?” she repeated. “Your critiques of Lauren, while no match for the long-windedness of Roger Ebert, are often overly critical and insensitive.”

Dyson smiled and leaned back in the chair again. “Throwing down with Roger Ebert. I never figured you for a scholar.”

Bo rolled her eyes before closing them and turning back to the ceiling. “See, it’s shit like that that gets you in trouble.”

“As much as I just love talking about the good doctor, I’m here because I’m worried about you, Bo.” He closed his hand over hers.

Bo smiled, her fingers curling around his. “Thank you,” she said, forcing her eyes open again. She looked at him honestly. “But right now I need you to let me worry about me. I need you to protect the pack--humans and all.”  
___

 

The lab was quiet when Dyson walked out, but it was not without tension. Lauren stood against her desk, staring at the nail between her fingers. She twirled it, turned it end to end and around her fingers over and over, all the time studying every edge, every divot in the metal. She was the only human he knew that brooded as much as he did.

When she finally noticed him watching - humans always took so long - the shrill ring of the phone on her desk made her jump. She picked it up before the second ring.

“Dr. Lewis.” Dyson strained to hear the voice on the phone. “Yes. Yes, please show them in.” She hung the phone up and looked at him. “They’re here.”

“We got ‘em!” Hale called, jogging into the lab, Trick close behind him. He breathed heavily and held out the spectacles. “Here.” He bent forward, bracing himself on his knees. Kenzi snatched the glasses from his hand and slipped them on.

“The N’anga is here,” Dyson said.

The doors to the laboratory opened as if on cue to reveal two security guards. The N’anga followed, walking calmly into the room, looking at each corner. He was dressed in white cotton, embroidered in red, blue and yellow and a large black feathered headdress. He was followed by two similarly dressed men, carrying supplies, drums and other instruments. Dyson regarded him carefully and looked at Lauren, who seemed to be doing the same.

“I am Mashudu,” he said with a faint accent.

Trick extended his hand towards Mashudu. “Welcome.”

“Where is the ill?” Mashudu asked.

Lauren jumped to attention. “This way,” she said, leading him to Bo. She walked past Dyson, glancing at him briefly before pulling the curtain open. The group gathered just outside and watched the N’anga and his assistants assemble their ceremony.

Mashudu hummed to himself as he examined Bo. She opened her eyes to the stranger, and frowned. “Tshombe?” she asked. “No…”

“It’s okay, Bo,” Lauren said from the other side of the bed, touching her arm.

“No, no,” Bo tried to get up. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Shhh,” Mashudu hushed her, placing his fingers on her forehead. “You did not wrong me, child. I am Mashudu. It means ‘lucky.’”

“He’s here to help, Bo,” Lauren told her, stroking her hair.

“The Tokoloshe has a firm grip on her,” Mashudu said. “I could feel him outside.”

“Can you help?” Lauren asked him.

Mashudu gestured to his assistants and they began playing. The beat of the drums and marimbas were calming and intoxicating. He smiled at her. Mashudu turned and picked up a large container from his bags before walking away. Lauren frowned at Dyson and the group shared a collective confusion.

“Um, hey, Lucky Charms?” Kenzi called. “Where ya’ going?”

Trick elbowed Kenzi. “He must seal all entrances and exits to the room with the muti. Like the one I made, but probably much more potent.”

Kenzi pushed the Spectacles of Geneva up the bridge of her nose. “And then what, invisible force field?”

“Sort of.”

When Mashudu had finished sealing the exits, Dyson watched him close his eyes and bow his head. The music didn’t stop, even when his lips moved. Dyson looked at Kenzi, Trick and Hale, all watching Mashudu intently and then over to Lauren, who’s eyes hadn’t left Bo. The scent of the Tokoloshe was strong now and when Dyson turned back to Mashudu, his eyes fell on the translucent shape of the sprite, slowly appearing before him. When the prayer was over, the Tokoloshe was there, just outside the curtain of Bo’s room.

He was just as Kenzi had described. Small, long dark body and facial hair, eyes that were hard to see beyond the hair. They glowed a golden yellow, but the Tokoloshe didn’t move.

“Why isn’t it running?” Dyson asked, always wondering why any animal wouldn’t try to get away.

“The muti along with the music and prayer paralyzes the Tokoloshe,” Trick said quietly. “And makes him visible.”

“Ugh,” Kenzi held her nose. “I wish he’d go invisible again.”

Mashudu approached the Tokoloshe as calmly as he walked into the room. The music and prayer continued as he reached into his robes, unsheathing a short blade. It looked a hundred years old with a wide blade and a wooden handle. The dark metal had seen a lot of blood in its time, that Dyson could tell.

The kill itself took mere seconds. Mashudu stepped behind the Tokoloshe and deftly slit its throat. Kenzi gasped and turned into Hale as the blood flowed and the Tokoloshe dropped to the floor. The second gasp Dyson heard was from Bo and his head whipped around. He could see Lauren talking to her, but couldn’t pick out the words above the final prayer that Mashudu was saying. But a moment later, Lauren looked up at him and nodded in the affirmative.

The relief was an amazing feeling. The feeling of a war being over, of finally being able to relax. The music stopped and Dyson took a deep breath. He watched the N'anga’s assistants pack up their instruments as Mashudu wrapped the Tokoloshe up in a large swath of fabric.

“It is done,” Mashudu stated. An assistant walked up behind Mashudu and slung the body over his shoulder.

Dyson took a step forward. “Wait,” he said. “What about the body?”

Trick nodded at Mashudu as he walked out. “I promised the Tokoloshe body as payment.”

When a calm had returned to the lab, Kenzi pulled the Spectacles from her face and surveyed the mess left in the wake of chaos. “Damn,” she said, hands on her hips. “Poor Cousin It, struck down in the prime of life,” Kenzi said shaking her head. “Hate to be the fool who has to clean this up.” She looked at Trick and Hale, who eyebrows raised knowingly. “What?”

________


	10. Chapter 10

________

 

Lauren sat at her desk, reading the papers in front of her, her fingers twirling a pen. Bo couldn’t tell what was on any of the sheets, but she watched her read beyond the curtain that had been left open a little wider once she had been feeling better. Even though she couldn’t remember a lot of the better part of a day, Bo felt the isolation behind the curtain and once she pulled out of the danger zone, she demanded it be left open. She wanted to feel connected again.

Lauren leaned back in her chair, stretching her back. Bo didn’t think she’d slept more than a few hours in as many days. She looked exhausted. Pushing herself to her feet, Lauren started collecting a few things from her desk and Bo took the Cosmo Kenzi had left on her bed before running out to get a few things with Hale. She flipped to the middle.

The footsteps announced Lauren’s arrival before the curtain rings jingling as she walked by. Bo pretended to finish an article before looking up at the doctor. “How’s my favorite patient?” Lauren smiled and read the blinking lights and wavy lines on the machines Bo had spent way too much time staring at.

“Impatiently waiting to go home.” Bo closed the magazine and moved it to the table next to her.

Lauren smirked, jotting a few notes onto her clipboard. “I’m afraid that’s a ways off. I need to run a course of fluids at the very least, then we can talk about your release. What’s the rush?”

“Not like this place is filled with good memories for me. And over here we have the bed where I almost died,” she demonstrated with a gesture not uncommon in game shows. “Plus, I just want to take some time off and have that date we keep talking about.”

Lauren sat in the chair beside her bed and set the clipboard in her lap. “Well I don’t have much going on. What about now?”

“Oh right,” Bo chuckled and made a face, her hand coming to her chest. “I can’t do that. I mean, look at you.” She gestured to Lauren’s lab coat. “You’re my doctor.”

“Ah.“ Lauren raised a finger before getting to her feet and deposited the clipboard on the second chair that had been moved in upon Trick’s arrival. Bo watched her slip out of the lab coat and toss it on top of the clip board. Lauren straightened her shirt before sitting back down. “Is that better?”

Bo smiled. “Yeah, that makes all the difference.” Lauren leaned back, folding her hands. “Can I just take a minute to thank you for everything you’ve done for me?”

“Please,” Lauren shook her head. “I did what any doctor would do.”

“But you’re not just any doctor.” The silence they shared then was a familiar anxiety. Lauren looked at her hands and inspected them needlessly. Bo always caught her doing this, a nervous tick if you will. But she didn’t push. She was just happy to be able to enjoy Lauren’s company again.

“Saving your life when you crashed was the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do.” Lauren spoke to her without lifting her head.

“Thank you,” Bo said again. She’d never be able to say it enough.

“No--I mean, you don’t have to thank me.” Lauren sighed and looked at Bo. “I just meant that when I was losing you, I felt like I was losing myself. Like that was how I’d die, pounding on your chest, begging you to wake up.”

“Lauren…”

“I love you.” There was a second before Lauren rushed to add: “And I can’t…” She stopped again and rolled her eyes at herself. “I needed to tell you.”

“We’re all scared to say the things worth saying.” Bo looked at her lap, suddenly wishing she hadn’t gotten rid of the Cosmo so quickly. “I’m crazy about you, Lauren and I think you‘re…” She shook her head, smiling. “Amazing.”

Lauren’s smile lit up the laboratory. It was a smile Bo wondered was reserved for her, or she was always lucky enough to provoke it. “Well,” Lauren said, getting to her feet. “Amazing or not, you’re still not well.” She squeezed Bo’s hand. “You should rest.”

When Lauren moved to take a step away, Bo tightened her grip on her hand, holding her next to the bed. “I don’t want to rest.” 

“Bo…” The warning tone had less authority behind it than it normally did. Lauren leaned forward and placed a kiss on Bo’s cheek. “Don’t make me put the lab coat back on.” She straightened the blanket on the bed and smoothed it over Bo’s lap. The smile on Bo’s face lasted as she watched Lauren pick the coat and clipboard off the chair and walk to that curtain again. 

“Before you go, I gotta ask,” Bo looked up at Lauren, pausing for effect, “what’s with Jell-O and hospitals?”

“Technically, this isn’t a hospital but I believe it’s supposed to remind you of your childhood.”

“You’d have to suspend grapes and pineapple in it for that.”

Lauren nodded solemnly. “Sadly we lost our funding for gourmet Jell-O and can now only offer the fruitless variety but I’ll see about some pudding with your dinner.”

They shared a moment appreciating the easiness of their exchange before Lauren retreated back to her desk, this time leaving the curtain open wide enough that Bo could watch her slip back into the lab coat and return to her work.

________

Bo pulled the last boot on, grunting as she straightened her back. She placed a hand on her chest as she stood, taking a breath to ease the pain as carefully as she could. Finally, she was out of here. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate being doted on by Lauren, but there was something to be said for her dilapidated warehouse of a home. It had a comfortable bed and television for one.

The clicking of her boots announced Kenzi’s arrival before she pulled back the curtain. “Hey Bo-Bo, how goes the healing?” Kenzi walked up to her and picked up the small bag they‘d brought along days ago. 

Bo put a hand on Kenzi’s shoulder in mock support. “Sore.” 

“Yeah, Lauren totally worked you over but I gotta say it was awesome to watch. I didn‘t know she had it in her.”

“She’s pretty great,” Bo smiled.

“Ooo,” Kenzi teased. “Do I detect a hint of lurve in that statement?”

Bo looked at the array of belts across Kenzi’s waist. “I think so.”

Kenzi gasped. “Are you for serious? I was just joshin’ ya,” she shook Bo’s shoulder. “Well, let’s celebrate.” Bo played with the blanket folded on the bed and waited for Kenzi to run out of steam. “Should we invite her over? That’s what you do when you like somebody am I right?”

“Kenz, I’m on bed rest for a bit--”

“That’s perfect. Think of all the shenanigans you can get up to in bed!” Bo couldn’t say anything with any more force, so she glared at Kenzi instead. “What? No shenanigans?”

Bo smiled at her. “Not yet. We still need to talk.”

“Bo, if you’re questioning Lauren’s motives, don’t.” Kenzi leaned forward. “Honey, she didn’t sleep a wink the entire time you were here. Every time I woke up, she was next to you.” Leaning back again, she propped her feet up on the rails of the bed. “I even thought she was going to kick Dyson’s ass there for a second.”

Bo laughed and then groaned at the pain in her chest. “Ow, don’t make me laugh.”

“She loves you, Bo.”

Bo looked at her friend. “I know,” she replied. 

“Hello?” Lauren leaned inside the open curtain before walking into the space. Bo and Kenzi looked at each other, relieved they had stopped talking at just the right time. The only thing they couldn’t stop was the grin that crossed each of their faces.

Lauren looked back and forth with a frown. “What’s going on?”

“I just…” Kenzi started first.

“She told a joke,” Bo continued and smiled at Lauren. “Took me a while, but I got it.”

Kenzi made a hasty exit, but not before running into Lauren’s outstretched hand. Kenzi sighed, rolling her eyes and digging into her pocket for the Spectacles Hale and Trick had retrieved from the vault. She smiled innocently at Lauren as she deposited them in her hand. “I’ll meet you out here, Boobalah!” she called over her shoulder on her way out.

Lauren watched Kenzi go with a crooked smile and turned back to Bo. “So…”

“I guess this is it,” Bo patted the pile of bedding on the hospital bed and smiled. She fidgeted in her leather jacket. Lauren stood across from her, keeping her distance with her trusty clipboard and pen that clacked against it as she stared down Bo.

“Take those pills I gave you--”

“--three times a day,” she nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“You can see where I’d think you might not be.” Lauren tilted her head.

“Not really.” Bo took a step toward Lauren. “See, I have this fantastic doctor that makes house calls so I don’t worry about much.”

When Lauren looked up from her clipboard she was smiling, at ease in their banter.

“Mamacita?” Kenzi called as she rounded the corner again. “Nachos and margaritas are calling our names, you know.“

“No drinking while you’re on those pills,” Lauren said sternly. “And no not taking the pills so you can drink.”

“Dr. Buzzkill, paging Dr. Buzzkill,” Kenzi hollered into her hands.

“Give us a minute, Kenz?”

“Of course, cue the tender goodbye,” she said in a sing-song voice. “And thanks for not making me watch it,” she muttered as she left the room.

Bo took two steps toward Lauren, taking the clipboard and pen from her hands she tossed them onto the bed. Holding Lauren’s hands in her own, she caught her eyes. “Lauren, I have so much I need to say to you and none of the words. But,” she took a step closer and touched her lips with a finger. “I want to try.” Her kiss was tender and tentative but not timid. Another step forward pushed Lauren against the edge of the bed and Bo’s hips held her there so she could feel every breath she took. There wasn’t going to be a second where she denied herself this feeling again. Lauren followed when Bo pulled away, disappointed in such a brief kiss. Bo leaned in again, taking Lauren’s bottom lip between her own as she pulled away. 

Lauren sighed as Bo took a step back. “Not fair.”

“That was kinda the point,” she whispered. “When do you think you might be free for a house call?”

“If I said right now, would you think any less of me?”

The inescapable chuckle made her chest throb. “I’ll see you soon, then,” she smiled though the discomfort, lifting the clipboard and pen off the bed and passing it to Lauren before brushing past her to exit the room. 

On the other side of the curtain Kenzi squealed at Bo’s emergence from her cubicle. “Bo-Bo, are you ready for Kenzi’s Mighty Mighty Drinkathon?

“Lauren said no drinking, remember?”

“Oh balls.” Kenzi’s arms dropped to her sides. “That’s okay, we’ll get yours virgin.”

“I tend to avoid virgins,” Bo smirked. 

“Really? I would have figured they’d be like fae food for the big bad piranha.”

“Did you just call me a piranha?”

“Mmmmaybe…”

Bo swatted at Kenzi playfully as she ran ahead and Bo slowed her stride just barely to throw Lauren her best Cover Girl smile over her shoulder, trying to press every button she could as she glided out of the laboratory. Lauren - much to Bo’s delight - had trained her eyes on her, her smile wide and brilliant as she watched Bo disappear around the corner. As she pushed her way through another set of doors she knew it wouldn’t be long until she saw Lauren again.

It was a shame, really, that only when you’re faced with losing everything, will you be able to say what you really mean to the people that matter to you. She didn’t know how long Lauren had been waiting to say what she did - hours, days, months - but it was clear she had been thinking about it for a long time. Bo had been there too, but she didn‘t have Lauren’s courage. Maybe now they could start again. Maybe they’d have an uninterrupted moment so she could thank her in a manner she deserved. Maybe this time she would be brave enough to say what she really meant.  
__

FIN


End file.
